He hung them in his Turin home before taking them to Sicily when he retired.

The worker only grew suspicious about their origins when his son saw another Gauguin in a book and noticed similarities with the painting in his father's kitchen.

The man consulted experts and police were eventually alerted.

Image copyrightAFPImage caption
Paul Gauguin's still life is thought to be worth at least 10m euros (£8.3m)

The Gauguin painting, titled Fruits sur une table ou nature au petit chien (Fruits on a table or still life with a small dog), had been painted in 1889 and was thought to be worth between 10m and 30m euros (£8.3m-£24.8m), police said.